Indicator for fluid-tanks.



No. 775,544. PATBNTED NOV. 23, 1904.

F. A. RA-NTZ & G. .W. COLLIN.

INDICATOR FOR FLUID TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1902.

ITO MODEL.

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(J 1400 1 14 0 as rank 1/1. Raid} 0 I Elm-011m UNITED STATES Patented November 22, ll 04 PATENT QEEICE.

FRANK A. RANTZ AND GEORGE W. COLLIN, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

INDICATOR FQR FLUID-TANKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,544, dated November 22, 1904.

fa plication file November 8, 1902. Serial F0. 130,618. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Fluid-Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in indicators for fluid-reservoirs such, for instance, as gasolene-tanks-.and is designed to determine the quantity of fluid within the tank without opening the same or otherwiseexposing the fluid. V

Heretofore it has been diflicult to provide a reliable and safe indicator for gasolene-tanks, especially when employed on automobiles, launches, &c., wherein such tanks are subjected to severe usage. This is true, first, because tanks for the above purpose must be absolutely tight in every respect in order to prevent any possible escape of fluid or vapor therefrom. Such a requirement makes it not only difficult but unsafe to employ any form of mechanical device which operates through an aperture in the tank. It is also true that the usual forms of glass-gages such as are employed on various other kinds of tanks, boilers, and the like are not acceptable owing to the same reasonnamely, that it is impossible to secure reliable connections for the same which will not leakand for the further reason that such devices are very liable to break and expose the fluid.

It is therefore the objects of our invention to provide a device which will accurately indicate the amount of fluid in tanks of the above sort, to accomplish the above through the body of the tank without any openings there through or without any direct movable parts extending through such tank, thus avoiding all possible means of leakage or escape of the fluid, and, finally, to accomplish the above through the medium of a desirable and simple form of mechanism which, should occasion require, can be detached from the tank for repairs or the like quickly and conveniently by any inexperienced person. 7

With the above objects in view our invenabove referred to.

tion resides and consists in the novel construction and combination of parts shown upon the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and upon which similarletters of reference denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several figures, and of whicl Figure 1 shows a plan view of a cylindrical tank broken away at either end and fitted with our improved indicator. Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross-section. taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing the mechanical arrangement and application of our indicator to the tank Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a rotatable magnet employed upon the inside of our tank. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the float shown in Fig. 2 for turning the magnet.

Referring to the letters of reference marked upon the several figures of the particular construction illustrated, A represents a tank, as shown, of cylindrical shape corresponding in that respect'to the shapes of some employed on gasolene-vehiclesd Secured to the top of this tank is a suitable ring B, which is preferably formed of brass and brazed or otherwise united with such tank. The inner surface of this ring is threaded to receive a correspondingly-threaded brass cap G, which is provided with an annular flange 1), between which and the top of the ring we provide a proper packing-ringE to insure reliablemeans for sealing the tank.

One end of a pair. of vertically-disposed guide-rods F are attached to the under side of the cap, and a bridge G serves to connect the opposite ends of said rods and retain the same at a uniform distance apart. Between and guided by these rods is a float H, which rises and falls with the fluid in the tank for the purpose of engaging and operating a spirallyarranged rotary stem I, which is suitably pivoted at either end in the cap and the bridge G, before mentioned. To the upper end of this spiral stem (see Figs. 2 and 3) we have rigidly secured vthereto a magnetized-steel cross-bar J, which turns under the cap 0 by the engagement with its stem of the slot K in the top face of the float, it being apparent that the position of said stem and magnet would be controlled by the position of the float, governed by the height of the fluid within the tank.

Upon the top side of the cap C we provide a pocket L, which is preferably covered by a glass M and may be further provided with a removable cover N, as indicated in Fig. 2. Within this pocket is a needle 0, rotatably mounted upon a pivot-pin P, secured central of the cap in a manner to allow the needle to swing around by the influence or attraction of the magnet beneath the cap, and thus indicate upon the face of the dial Q not only the position of the magnet, but the quantity of fluid within the tank. In the arrangement of this mechanism the needle and magnet would obviously be set to register at the filled mark on the dial when the tank was full and would gradually swing around from right to left or entirely around, if preferred, indicating as it went the amount of fluid still remaining in the receptacle.

It will be obvious, of course, that our invention may be put into effect in different ways-that is, it is equally applicable to any form of tank, either portable or stationary, and, in fact, is not confined in its use to gasolene, but can be used with good results on kerosene, naphtha, and benzin tanks. Therefore we do not wish to be limited to the details of construction shown, as we believe the invention to be broader than that of the actual construction illustrated. This is particu larly true with reference to the particular part or parts which are magnetized. For instance, it will be obvious that the needle instead of the steel bar might be magnetized, thus following the turn of the bar in the same way, or, in fact, both might be magnetized, thus again accomplishing the same functions Without deviating from the essence of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fluid-tank indicator, the combination with a tank having a circular opening, a movable cap threadedly attached in the ring, depending guides attached to said cap, a yoke connecting the lower ends of the guides and being of less length than the diameter of the opening, a vertically-disposed spiral stem rotatably mounted in the cap and yoke, a float mounted on the guides and engaging the spiral stem in a manner to turn the same by the rise and fall of the fluid in the tank, a magnet carried by said stem, an indicating-needle exterior of and attached to the cap adapted to move and register with the position of and by the influence of the magnet on the inside, and a movable cover adapted to fit upon the cap to inclose the needle, substantially as shown and described.

2. in an indicator in combination, a tank adapted to contain a fluid and having a hole therein, an un1 erforated closure for said hole, a movable magnetic portion within said tank mounted on said closure and adapted to be inserted in said tank through said hole, a float connected with said portion to move the same, second movable magneticportion physically unconnected with said first portion and mounted on the outside of said closure in juxta 'iosition to said inside portion, one of said portions consisting of a magnet, whereby said outside portion is caused totake positions corresponding to the positions of said inside portion and thereby indicate variations in the level of said fluid.

3. In an indicator in combination, a tank adapted to contain a fluid and having a hole therein, an unperf'oratcd closure forsaid hole, a movable magnetic portion within said tank pivotally mounted on said closure and adapted to be inserted in said tank through said hole, afloat within said tank and connected with said portion to move the same, a second magnetic portion physically unconnected with said first portion, and pivoted on the outside of said closure in juxtaposition to said inside portion, one of said portions consisting of a magnet, whereby said outside portion is caused to take positions corresponding to the positions of said inside portion, and thereby indicate variations in the level of said fluid.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, this 1st day of November, A.'D. 1902.

FRANK A. RANTZ. GEORGE \V. COLLIN. Vitnesses:

U. M. N mnnxN, HARRIET L. bLAsoN. 

